Rome, Aug 19, 2008 / 10:00 am (CNA).- The prefect of the Apostolic Signature, Archbishop Raymond Burke, said this week that Catholics, especially politicians who publically defend abortion, should not receive Communion, and that ministers of Communion should be responsibly charitable in denying it to them if they ask for it, “until they have reformed their lives.”

In an interview with the magazine, Radici Christiane, Archbishop Burke pointed out that there is often a lack of reverence at Mass when receiving Communion. “Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ unworthily is a sacrilege,” he warned. “If it is done deliberately in mortal sin it is a sacrilege.”

To illustrate his point, he referred to “public officials who, with knowledge and consent, uphold actions that are against the Divine and Eternal moral law. For example, if they support abortion, which entails the taking of innocent and defenseless human lives. A person who commits sin in this way should be publicly admonished in such a way as to not receive Communion until he or she has reformed his life,” the archbishop said.

“If a person who has been admonished persists in public mortal sin and attempts to receive Communion, the minister of the Eucharist has the obligation to deny it to him. Why? Above all, for the salvation of that person, preventing him from committing a sacrilege,” he added.

“We must avoid giving people the impression that one can be in a state of mortal sin and receive the Eucharist,” the archbishop continued. “Secondly, there could be another form of scandal, consisting of leading people to think that the public act that this person is doing, which until now everyone believed was a serious sin, is really not that serious – if the Church allows him or her to receive Communion.”

“If we have a public figure who is openly and deliberately upholding abortion rights and receiving the Eucharist, what will the average person think? He or she could come to believe that it up to a certain point it is okay to do away with an innocent life in the mother’s womb,” he warned.

Archbishop Burke also noted that when a bishop or a Church leader prevents an abortion supporter from receiving Communion, “it is not with the intention of interfering in public life but rather in the spiritual state of the politician or public official who, if Catholic, should follow the divine law in the public sphere as well.”

“Therefore, it is simply ridiculous and wrong to try to silence a pastor, accusing him of interfering in politics so that he cannot do good to the soul of a member of his flock,” he stated.

It is “simply wrong” to think that the faith must be reduced to the private sphere and eliminated from public life, Archbishop Burke said, encouraging Catholics “to bear witness to our faith not only in private in our homes but also in our public lives with others in order to bear strong witness to Christ.”

As much as I disagree with Fellay on a number of things I do see his point about communion in the hand, which I will quote here again:

…At first, many may have been shocked by communion in the hand; but “everybody does it.” Then little by little, as you receive Our Lord in your hands standing, you end up thinking that He is not your Lord. Because if He were really God, you would fall on your knees to adore Him and you would not take Him in your hand. For when you take something in your hand, you are the one in control. “I have the matter in hand” means that you have something under control…

One comment from Bill from the previous post said “Yes kneeling may be “tolerated” but the USCCB discourages it”. It is not my desire to draw attention to myself by kneeling to receive communion, and I don’t encourage anyone else to kneel either unless a kneeler is present, but I find it a bit odd that the USCCB, our own Shepards, would discourage us from kneeling to receive communion. I know this is more of a logistics and flow issue more than anything else but it is a logistics and flow issue that was created by our Shepards. I for one love the Novus Ordo Mass, I grew up with it, but it would be even better if the norm was for us to receive our Lord kneeling. This logistics and flow issue can be resolved considering that for hundreds of years the laity received communion kneeling.

Another comment from JohnR said “But as I read and reflect on Matthew 26:26, While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

It appears to me communion in the hand is a personal invitation “He…gave it to his disciples, and said Take”. It doesn’t get more personal than to have it handed directly to you and personally invited to take it (His body). Throughout the gospels we hear of the personal, physical interaction of our Lord with His sheep, and hear how those present want to be near and touch Him. I have a longing to be touch by Jesus Christ spiritually and physically. Communion in the hand seems like a perfect opportunity.”

I think this is an excellent point but I would offer two additional thoughts.

1. You are touching him when he is placed on your tongue.
2. Christ said take and eat to the Apostles who are our modern day Bishops.

The Catholic Church teaches that we receive communion do not take it. Only those above a certain ordained level are allowed to serve themselves communion. I’m not sure about the rule on Deacons but we the laity do not take communion we receive it.

Which leads me to the conclusion of my longest post to date. (Thanks for taking the time to read it.) Recently in the L’Osservatore Romano (the Vatican newspaper) Msgr. Guido Marini was asked, “In the recent visit to Santa Maria di Leuca and Brindisi the Pope distributed Communion to the faithful on the tongue and kneeling. Is this a practice destined to become habitual in papal ceremonies?

Msgr. Marini: I really think so. In this regard it is necessary not to forget that the distribution of Communion in the hand remains, even now, from the juridical standpoint, an indult from the universal law, conceded by the Holy See to those bishops conferences which requested it. The method adopted by Benedict XVI tends to underscore the force of the norm valid for the whole Church. In addition, one could perhaps also note a preference for using this method of distribution which, without taking anything from the other, better sheds light on the truth of the Real Presence in the Eucharist, it helps the devotion of the faithful, introduces them more easily to a sense of mystery. Aspects which, in our time, speaking pastorally, it is urgent to highlight and recover.”

Reception of communion in the hand is an indult, i.e. a concession or privilege that is not allowed by the Church’s common law. It can be removed, just like the removal of the ability for the laity to purify the sacred vessels of communion, that indult was removed not to long ago. Note, that ever since the Feast of Corpus Christi the Pope is giving communion kneeling and on the tongue. (see below) One can only wonder if this is sign of things to come for the entire Church.